The Twelve Days of Lailah is an event organized by the Styclar Street Team to get into the holiday fun while promoting one of our favorite new releases of 2014, Lailah by Nikki Kelly!
Today, we invited the mastermind behind Lailah, Nikki Kelly, to guest post here on The Book Bratz and share her favorite Christmas traditions and memories. Here's what she had to say!
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Nikki’s favorite Christmas traditions and memories!
Christmas is my favourite time of year, because CHRISTMAS! When I think about Christmas Day, my mind immediately turns to the thought of a turkey dinner, pulling crackers, and watching movies full of merriment!
Over the years, my Christmas traditions have changed a little, but not by much! Make sure you come by and tell us how you spend your Christmas Day; meanwhile this is how I spend mine!
In the lead up to Christmas, naturally hubby and I pick out a tree—always a real one—which we decorate differently each year. We place fairy lights over the fireplace and around the doorframes, and of course, put a wreath on the front door. The pooches get a new outfit in preparation for the day, and their stockings are filled full of doggy treats!
On the morning of Christmas, I wake up excited like a small child, and immediately brew a cuppa! Even though I’m in my late twenties, I still find myself eyeing the end of the bed to see if Father Christmas has left me a present…
…he doesn’t anymore, I guess I’m on the naughty list!
My hubby and I stay in our PJ’s while we exchange our presents over breakfast, which is usually chesse on toast—which I think in America you call ‘chesse toast’ right?! While this is happening we enjoy various Christmas albums, and my hubby dances around singing, because he’s fun like that ;) Last year, we rinsed (which means ‘overplayed’) the Glee Christmas Album, this year I expect to kill ‘Let it go’ from the Frozen soundtrack… yes, I can quite see myself basting the turkey while belting out the chorus!
Once we have played with our presents for a sufficient amount of time, I give our flat a last minute tidy, while hubby brings in the fold out table and sets up the second bedroom as the ‘dining room’ for the day!
We place Christmas crackers on the table, along with the usual things like cutlery and glasses. We then pop on our wellies and take the pooches to the park for a quick walk.
We tend to divvy up Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day with different family members—This tends to happen when you get married and have multiple sets of family to see! Usually my hubby’s dad, mom, brother and his girlfriend will come to our apartment on Christmas day itself (we are the most central to everyone) and I am in charge of making the meal ( Those that know me best, know I cannot cook, but there is one exception… I am pretty awesome at cooking a full roast dinner!
I slow cook a joint of beef, and I prepare potatoes in all possible forms; mash, roasties, boiled… And of course, the Yorkshire puddings, pigs in blankets, stuffing balls, and veg… The meal will take around 4hours to prepare.
Once the food is in the oven, I get showered and changed, and slap on a little bit of makeup as invariably photos will be taken! But when I say ‘get changed’, I mean from PJ’s into a onesie!
While the oven is fulfilling the most important task of the year, the family will arrive, and we will once again have a cup of tea, before cracking open the Bucks Fizz.
All relatives tend to congregate in the family room, and we put on the coal fire, which adds to the Christmassy, wintery feel!
Board games like Monopoly will come out (though after the Christmas of 2012 that particular game has been banned—the less said about that, the better!) The TV will be on in the background, with a rule that only Christmas films will be watched. The only exception to this is the Doctor Who special, which is the one show I HAVE to see!
By late afternoon we move to the makeshift dining room, and pull crackers! It’s another rule in my house that you have to wear the silly paper hats and tell the jokes! We then sit and gorge on the turkey dinner, followed by strawberry trifle, American cheesecake and a Yule log.
More drinks are usually consumed, though I stick to tea, I’m hosting after all!
We then move back to the family room, and exchange presents with one another. My dad in law always buys us all a jumper, so naturally we put them on over our clothes to show how well he did, and smile a lot, though I don’t think my hubby or I, have ever worn them again!
My mom in law, always brings a stocking full of fun presents, the best/worst one was the luminous green silly putty which she gifted to my hubby… Ten years later, and I still find it in the strangest places; stuck to the things I would least want it stuck to!
It’s evening now, and my dad in law has usually had a few beers, and starts to snooze on the sofa, leaving us ‘kids’ to choose what board game to play, and which film to watch.
Everyone tends to leave around 9pm… Hubby and I will curl up on the sofa with the pooches and crack open the candy and chocolates… We almost always fall asleep snuggled up together, underneath a cosy blanket; the cleaning can wait until tomorrow!
Special thanks to Nikki Kelly for allowing us to host this guest post! There are still five more days left in The Twelve Days of Lailah, so look for them and check out the past seven days of Lailah awesomeness over at The Official Styclar Fansite!
And don't forget to enter the exclusive giveaway being hosted by Nikki and the Styclar Street Team HERE:
And don't forget to enter the exclusive giveaway being hosted by Nikki and the Styclar Street Team HERE:
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Also, check out the schedule for the rest of The 12 Days of Lailah:
*Sunday, December 14th: Beth at Curling Up With a Good Book shares a Lailah-themed Christmas playlist.
*Monday, December 15th: Brittany at Please Feed the Bookworm matches Lailahcharacters to their fitting ugly Christmas sweaters.
*Tuesday, December 16th: Rachel at A Perfection Called Books shares exactly what to get the Lailah, Gabriel and Jonah for Christmas.
*Wednesday, December 17th: Patricia at The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club shines some light on exactly how Gabriel and Jonah would celebrate the holidays in their respective realms.
*Thursday, December 18th: Pili at In Love With Handmade whips up some Lailahholiday cupcakes.
*Friday, December 19th: Andrew at Endlessly Reading showcases Jonah and Brooke's potential Christmas outfits.
*Saturday, December 20th: Jessica at The Book Bratz hosts a guest post by Lailahauthor Nikki Kelly where she shares her favorite Christmas traditions and memories.
*Sunday, December 21st: Ri at Hiver et Cafe releases some exclusive Lailah quotes and shares her take on what Lailah would wear for Christmas.
*Monday, December 22nd: Andrew at Endlessly Reading hosts a character interview with author Nikki Kelly, Lailah, Jonah and Gabriel.
*Tuesday, December 23rd: Genissa at A Story Diary hosts a guest post from Nikki Kelly about the Christmas scene from Lailah.
*Wednesday, December 24th: Dana at Dana Square bakes some Lailah-inspired Christmas cookies.
*Thursday, December 25th: Amber at The Book Bratz releases a brand-new rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas - Lailah style.
*Monday, December 15th: Brittany at Please Feed the Bookworm matches Lailahcharacters to their fitting ugly Christmas sweaters.
*Tuesday, December 16th: Rachel at A Perfection Called Books shares exactly what to get the Lailah, Gabriel and Jonah for Christmas.
*Wednesday, December 17th: Patricia at The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club shines some light on exactly how Gabriel and Jonah would celebrate the holidays in their respective realms.
*Thursday, December 18th: Pili at In Love With Handmade whips up some Lailahholiday cupcakes.
*Friday, December 19th: Andrew at Endlessly Reading showcases Jonah and Brooke's potential Christmas outfits.
*Saturday, December 20th: Jessica at The Book Bratz hosts a guest post by Lailahauthor Nikki Kelly where she shares her favorite Christmas traditions and memories.
*Sunday, December 21st: Ri at Hiver et Cafe releases some exclusive Lailah quotes and shares her take on what Lailah would wear for Christmas.
*Monday, December 22nd: Andrew at Endlessly Reading hosts a character interview with author Nikki Kelly, Lailah, Jonah and Gabriel.
*Tuesday, December 23rd: Genissa at A Story Diary hosts a guest post from Nikki Kelly about the Christmas scene from Lailah.
*Wednesday, December 24th: Dana at Dana Square bakes some Lailah-inspired Christmas cookies.
*Thursday, December 25th: Amber at The Book Bratz releases a brand-new rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas - Lailah style.
Aweeee, so sweet! I love your Xmas celebrations! Over here my bro, sis-in-law and nephews come to my parents to have Xmas lunch but with my work I can't always be there for it, but when I am we enjoy our Xmas lunch staples, like deviled eggs, fish & crab soup, a beef casserole and then we watch Love Actually together (or nap through it, as my dad and bro usually do!).
ReplyDeletepili I LOVE love actually! and beef casserole too! I'm coming to your house!
DeleteGreat giffage lil loves! This sounds so fun. We have a huge Christmas party on Christmas eve where we play this torturous game of Pollyanna except the next person can steal you gift and trade with you (which drives me nuts) now that we have lil man we just chill at home Christmas Day and be fat all day. It's glorious! Happy holidays my lil cuties! Hope I get to meet you guys soonish!
ReplyDelete❤️ Britt